Weekly Tarot

September 25-October 1, 2023
Seven of Pentacles

Help us to be ever faithful gardeners of the spirit, who know that without darkness nothing comes to birth, and without light nothing flowers.
May Sarton

After a volatile Summer, for this first full week of Autumn (or Spring, if you are in the Southern Hemisphere), a welcome, steadying presence joins us. Following last week’s Nine, say hello to our frequent visitor, the Seven of Pentacles.

Here we see a young man as he pauses, and gazes at the ripening disks on the vine, representing that it is laden with fruit.

He has done everything he possibly can to tend his garden. Now, he gazes with thoughtful appreciation at what he has worked for. He seems to be considering whether or not his results are ready for reaping, or else what he might need to do next. The gray sky behind him reflects this ambivalence.

This is the Pentacles suit, so it is ruled by the element of Earth. Thus Pentacles speak to our material comfort, security, and abundance, especially our money, health, home, and our jobs.

And seven is a number of magic, spirituality and initiation into a deeper level of Mystery. There are seven main chakras, much of the human body is said to renew itself on a cellular level every seven years, each quarter phase of the Moon is seven days long, there are seven colors in the visible spectrum, and seven notes in the Western musical scale.

No wonder it is considered a number of harmony and good luck.

Shine On Harvest Moon

This final week of September, we celebrate the Harvest Moon, which is always the Full Moon closest to the Equinox. So this Friday, the 29^th, with the Full Moon in the sign of Aries (because the Sun is in Libra), we observe a time that has been honored for many centuries, as our ancestors took advantage of the additional bright hours to ensure their harvests were gathered in.

Our brilliant friend Elisabeth Grace notes that this Full Moon…

… pits me-me-me against we-we-we in relationship…with big potential for reaching across the aisles…unconventional alliances, suggested by Venus square Uranus on Friday, and Mercury trine Uranus on Saturday.

Set yourself free!

That Venus square Uranus transit indicates that there could be some pressure on relationships, since Uranus DEFINITELY wants to be free. But in a healthy partnership, a more gentle give and take will serve us well. Just like the co-creative relationship depicted here between the young man and the Earth he has been tending.

And as for the Mercury trine Uranus, astrologer Jamie Partridge tells us that it “opens your mind to new possibilities. There may be some exciting news. Chance encounters are possible with eccentric or, in other ways stimulating people.”

Perhaps that is just the sort of inspiration that the man leaning on his hoe needs, to get moving again.

But then, with her wise insights, Lorna Bevan cautions:

As the Sun returns to cardinal Libra at the Equinox, the schisms, splits and ideological polarisation of the over-culture fanned by social media have never been more obvious or more dangerous.

Increasingly, it seems many no longer have the ability to occupy the space in-between which contain many different shades of grey – simply unable to stay with the discomfort of not knowing but actively encouraged to be tribal and to react, instead of thinking….

Underlining the theme, this week’s Full Moon at 6° Aries on September 29th is a reminder to strike a balance between meeting your personal needs and attending to the needs of others with their own agendas.

In our card, we see the farmer as he pauses to consider what will serve best, comfortably holding the ability to occupy the space in-between while he decides. And is this scenario showing us a garden that will be kept only for the farmer? Or will he share its bounty for the good of others?

These could be an important issue for you and your own work this week.

The Fullness of Time

Before you reap the well-deserved rewards of your labors, take some time this week to contemplate and appreciate what you have accomplished. So often, we throw ourselves into this or that project, working furiously, and then on to the next thing without stopping to enjoy our results.

Instead, you are being invited to take a moment, in order to evaluate what you have worked so hard for. Look at what you are creating and take stock. If you need to fine-tune before its completion, you still can, but the end is in sight.

Perhaps this is the time for you to consider what you have learned or what you might change next time. But whatever you have been working towards, it is now bearing fruit and is almost ready for harvest. Is it going to feed you in the days to come?

Allow the fullness of Time to do its job, for it is the mysterious force that ensures that the fruit will be plentiful and sweet. The pace of Nature is a gift, not an obstacle.

Enjoy the beauty and abundance of this flourishing season before the final harvest that arrives next month at Samhain.

Assess your resources and plan wisely for what you may need in the future, realizing that more volatile times are surely on the way. Offer up your best, most diligent efforts. Protect what you have and make your choices in harmony with the greater good. And give your thanks.

In the weaving of the just past equal darkness and light, may your harvests be blessed.